meikle



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet V1.

`T.lvrmlfmxp GULTIVATOR. l l No. 812,489. 'Patented Peb. 17, 1888,

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2 Sheets- Sheet 2l (No Model.)

T. MBIKLE.

GULTIVATOR'.

.Patented Feb. 1.7, 1885l TIG. Af.

INVENTDR WITNEEEEE;

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' UNHED STATES 'PATENT Erica.

THOMAS MEIKLE, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS MEIKLE ANDCOMPANY, CORPORATION, OF SAME PLACE.

CULTIVAT'o.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No.312,189, dated. February17, 1885.

' Application filed November 1, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IHoMAs Merkur, of Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Cultivators; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and accurate description of the same.

This invention relates to that class of cultivators known asstraddlerow,7 and particularly, first, to devices for-varying thedistance between the center shovels; second, to devices for holding theshovels down to the ground or elevated above the ground, as preferred;and, third, to devices for shifting the inclination of either or bothwheels to adapt the machine to work on high. ridge-rows such as arecommon in cotton-cultivation.

I am aware that the distance between the center shovels has beenregulated by means of a divided axle the parts of which were ca pable ofrelative movement, and that said parts have been simultaneously moved bymeans of a rack and pinion operated by a lever, and that they have alsobeen independently moved and fixed in position by set-screws. Thelastnamed method is undesirable because it is troublesome, and thefirst-named is undesirable because it is costly and extremely liable toobstruction by reason of solid matter getting lodged between the teethof the rack or pinion. My invention obviates the objections to bothmethods by means ofa lever pivoted to the coupler and j ointed to saidparts of the axle, respectively, on each side of the fulcrum-pin. It iscustomary to support the shovels above the ground for transportation bytemporarily attaching the drag-bars to some overhanging part of theaxle-frame; and I am aware that a spring has been employed for the samepurpose. The same spring has` been employed or adapted to hold theshovels either up or down, according to the position in which theattendant may have placed them; but in that case the spring was attachedto the drag-bar at a distance behind its joint to the wheel-frame, andit was therefore much exposed. My spring is attached rigidly at one endto the axle, immediately in front of the drag-bar joint, and toward itsother or free end it is bent over in C shape, and has a short bendinward and then outward; or -it may be provided with a solid attachmentwhich will present on its exterior surfaces having the requisitedirections as to each other. The drag-bar or shovelframe has a shoulderor pin which is always in contact with the abo`ve-mentioned bend orattachment of the spring, and constantly bears against one or the otherside thereof, according as the shovel is on the ground or above it, andfrom either position the shovel can only be moved by flexing the springto canse said pin to pass said bend or attachment.

In the culture of cotton it is customary to plant the same along the topof a ridge, and in cultivating the same it is desirable that all theshovels shall penetrate to the same depth below the surface, and becausesaid surface slopes in one direction at one side of the plants and inthe opposite direction at the other side, it is necessary to cant theshovels at one side in a directionjopposite from the cant of the shovelson the other side; and to preserve unchanged the relative positions ofthe planes of shovel-cut and wheel-tread I shift or cant the wheel andshovels on each side together.

The following is a particular description of the devices above named asI have preferred to construct them, but without intending to limitmyself to the details as shown, because, obviously, they maybe greatlyvaried without changing the mode of operation in the least.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is aperspective view of my cultivator. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation. Figs. 3, 1I, 5, and 6 are details. Fig. 7 is a rearelevation.

A A are the supporting-wheels, mounted upon axle-spindles b, which aresecured at their inner ends to the cast-metal boxes C, 9:) which in turnare adj ustably attached to the arched axles D.

For convenience in manufacture I prefer to make the box C andaxle-spindle separate, inserting the latter through said box, and fast-9 5 ening in proper position by means of a set-A screw or other properdevice.

To .the inner end of the spindle b, which projects inward from the boxC, I attach the coupler R by means of the vertical joint-pin S, wherebysaid coupler is free to swing on said pin in a horizontal plane. Theculti- 5 vator drag-bars E E are jointed to the coupler R by ahorizontal joint-bolt, T, and may therefore rise and fall thereon in avertical plane; and by compounding the movements upon the pins S and Tthe shovels I may move ro in any direction. rlhe draft-pole F isattached to the top of the arch D, but it is preferable and moreconvenient to attach the single-trees at a lower level, as at G. Thecultivators at each side being connected rigi I5 idly, so as to movetogether, may be managed by a single handle, H, and the same may beadapted, as in the drawings, for a walking attendant; or, by making saidhandle in the form of a foot-piece it may be adapted tothe 2Orequirements of a riding attendant. The axle D is made in two parts, theadjacent ends whereof are laid in parallel grooves in a coupler, J, andare free to slide therein. Alever, K, is pivoted to the coupler J at apoint between the grooves above mentioned, and at points on each side ofsaid pivot said lever is jointed to said parts of the arch D,respectively, by means of joint-pins u and slots in th ver K, as shown,or by links connecting 3o said lever with the respective parts of theaxle D. To the same end and purpose I think it preferable to provide thelever K'with a segment, L, to which saidlever may be locked inanyposition desired, and thereby secure both parts of the axle in position.It is evident the 'coupler J may be made with its grooves in ahorizontal plane instead of a vertical plane, as shown, and in thatevent the lever K will project horizontally and be in 40 more convenientposition for the hand of a riding attendant, because it is sometimesdesirable to shift the width of the cultivator while the machine is inaction, and it may, with my device, be done without stopping. When goingto or from the field, it is required that thecultivators shall be heldabove the ground, and I have therefore provided a strong spring, M,having attached to it near its free end a shoulder or projection, n,which I prefer to form by a bend in the spring itself,

though it may with a similar effect be constituted by a separate pieceattached to or actuated by said spring. The spring, with its shouldeigispermanent in position,being rml y 5 attached at one end to the coupler Rby the bolts S tand a part, l?, (which is most conveniently constructedwith a bolt covered by a loose sleeve'or roller supported by side arms,

q q, attached to the coupler R and t-he dragbars E,) constantly bearsagainst one or the other side of said shoulder, so that when the shovelsare in the ground the pressure of the spring tends to keep themA down,and when they are up the pressure of the spring tends to keep them up,because to move from either position the part P causes the spring toiiex and alici-tr said part to pass to the other side of said shoulder.In practice I prefer to make the spring M C-shaped, with a sharp outwardbend near the free end to constitute the shoulder n.

lVhen thc machine is employed in cultivating cotton planted upon ridges,as shown in Fig. 7, it is desirable that the cultivators shall be set topenetrate to an equal depth below the surface, and as this depth bearsa'deiinite relation to the position of the tread of the wheel it isnecessary to adjust both wheelandcultivator, and this is mostconveniently done by shiftingl the position of the box O, which vcarrieswith it the axle-spindle b and the coupler R, though, as will beapparent to any mechanic,the adj ustments of the relative positionsof-wheel and cultivators may be attained by other means. The methodshown is simple, effective, and not liable to derangement. A series ofchange-holes, r, in the box C permits said box,with its attach ments,tomove on the bolt w as a center, and by shifting the bolt y from one ofsaid change-holes to another the axial inclination may be changed asdesired.

For some purposes it is desirable to place the bearing-wheels farther tothe rear, and it is not then necessary to make said wheels adj ustable.The wheel-axle is then'made rigid, and the adjustable arch D is placedat a proper distance in front of the wheel-axle, and serves to supportand `control the drag-bars only. The same adjusting mechanism may beapplied to the cultivator-arch even if no wheels be employed.

Having/described my invention, I claim as new- 1. A straddle-rowcultivator the arch whereof is composed ot' two parts, combined with acoupler-block, J, provided with a groove or grooves wherein said archparts may slide and lap past each other full size, to cause thecultivators to approach or recede from each other, a lever with which tomove said parts, and a locking device whereby said axle parts may befastened in the desired position.

2. Astraddle-row cultivator the arch whereof is composed of twoparts,combined with a.

coupler, J ,provided with grooves wherein said parts may move and lappast each other full size,to cause the cultivators to approach or recedefrom each other, and a lever whereby the parts of said axle may becoincidently moved, and a locking device whereby said arch parts may befastened and held in the desired 'position.

3. Astraddle-row cultivator the axle whereof is arched and composed oftwo parts capable of relative movement at the top ofthe arch, to causethe wheels and cultivators to approach or recede from each other,combined with a coupler, J, a lever, K, pivoted to said coupler at apoint between said axle parts, and j ointed to said parts, respectively,at each side of said pivot, and alocking device whereby said lever andaxle parts are locked and retained in po sition.

4. A. straddle-row cultivator having the TOO arched axle D in two parts,the coupler J, with parallel grooves to receive said parts separately,the slotted lever K, pivoted to said coupler at a point between saidgrooves, and connected with said axle parts by pins which pass throughsaid slots, and the segment L, with a locking device, all combinedsubstantially as set forth.

5. A cultivator supported upon wheels,and provided with a C-shapedspring rigidly attached to the axle at one end, and having a bend, n,near the free end, in combination with the drag-bar E, having theupturned arms q at its front end,provided with the bearings P, wherebythe same spring` acts to support the oultivator above the ground or tokeep the same down upon the ground7 substantially as set forth.

6. In a straddle-row cultivator, an axle prozo vided with axle-spindlesand cnltivators, couplers adjustable thereon in avertical plane, andlocking devices whereby, when said spindles and couplers have been adjusted, they may be' locked and retained in position, whereby the wheelsmay be set oblique to the axle and 25 adapted to stand,with thecultivators,perpen dicular to the surface on which they are working,substantially. as set forth.

7. In a straddle-row cultivator, an arched axle combined with thespindle-boxes G, pro- 3o Tnos. MEIKLE.

Vitnesses:

Trios. Marone, G. B. HALL.

